【International Activity】 Deepening International Ties and Fostering Cooperation: Colegio San Agustin-Bacolod (CSA-B) Visits NCKU College of Medicine to Advance Bilateral Medical Education and Research
To deepen transnational academic alliances and expand international medical education cooperation, a delegation from Colegio San Agustin-Bacolod (CSA-B) in the Philippines paid their second academic visit and discussion to the College of Medicine at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) on June 9, 2026. The delegation was led by Rev. Fr. Jose Rene C. Delariarte, President of CSA-B, and comprised executives from the College of Health and Applied Sciences, the College of Engineering, and the College of Business, Accountancy and Computer Studies, as well as academic heads and core faculty members from the Programs of Nursing, Pharmacy, and Medical Technology, demonstrating the high importance attached to bilateral cooperation.
NCKU College of Medicine warmly welcomed the 31-member delegation from CSA-B, with Professor Chao-Kai Hsu, Vice Dean for Education Affairs of the College of Medicine, personally receiving the guests. Attending representatives from NCKU included Professor Chen-Ming Kuo, Vice Dean of the College of Engineering; Professor Tsung-Lin Liu, Director of the International Relations Division at the Office of International Affairs (OIA) and Vice Dean of the College of Bioscience and Biotechnology; Professor Chun Hei Antonio Chang, Convener of the International Affairs Committee of the College of Medicine; Professor Carol Strong, Deputy convener of the committee; Professor Chuan-Fa Chang, Director of the Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology; Associate Professor Teng-Hao Chen from the School of Pharmacy; and Associate Professor Chia-Kuei Lee from the Department of Nursing, among other core academic executives and faculty members. The two parties convened a "Bilateral Discussion and Exchange Session" in the Main Conference Room on the 4th floor of the College of Medicine to conduct in-depth discussions on trends in higher medical education, international academic networking, and future substantive collaborations.
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| Photo1: Opening Remarks by Professor Chao-Kai Hsu, Vice Dean for Education Affairs of NCKU College of Medicine | Photo 2: Bilateral Discussion and Exchange Session | |
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During the introductory briefing, OIA Director Tsung-Lin Liu noted that National Cheng Kung University ranks 31st globally and 2nd in Taiwan in the Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings and has consistently secured the top spot nationwide in the "Most Preferred University Graduates by Enterprises" surveys conducted by major Taiwanese media outlets (such as Global Views Monthly, CommonWealth Magazine, Cheers Magazine, and 1111 Job Bank). Subsequently, Professor Chun Hei Antonio Chang introduced prominent research centers within the College of Medicine, including the International Research Center for Wound Repair and Regeneration (iWRR), the Center for Infectious Disease and Signaling Research (CIDSR), and the Center of Applied Nanomedicine (CAN). He also highlighted the School of Medicine’s acclaimed reputation for international and domestic EMI (English as a Medium of Instruction) implementation and its advancements in global competitiveness. Professor Chao-Kai Hsu, Vice Dean for Education Affairs of NCKU College of Medicine, stated that NCKU has long been committed to interdisciplinary medical research and the cultivation of high-level medical talents. The visit of the CSA-B delegation not only establishes a solid foundation of mutual trust between the two institutions but also injects new momentum into cooperation in medical, nursing, and pharmacy education between Taiwan and the Philippines. Rev. Fr. Jose Rene C. Delariarte, President of CSA-B, also highly praised NCKU College of Medicine for its outstanding research capabilities and innovative teaching environment. He expressed hopes that both sides will implement substantive collaborations in the future, such as faculty exchanges, international student internships, and joint research, working together to cultivate outstanding talents with global perspectives for worldwide higher medical education. During the discussion, representatives from both universities proposed multiple cooperative intentions across the fields of medical laboratory science and biotechnology, public health, pharmacy, and nursing, creating an enthusiastic atmosphere for exchange. In the field of engineering, Engr. Jhonel Española, Dean of the College of Engineering at CSA-B, expressed to Vice Dean Chen-Ming Kuo of NCKU College of Engineering that although the engineering discipline at CSA-B is smaller in scale, they hope to combine their three departments, including chemical engineering, to carry out interdisciplinary research collaboration with NCKU focusing on raw material development for energy storage. Following the conclusion of the meeting, NCKU specially arranged a site tour for the foreign guests, visiting the Department of Nursing and the Institute of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. The delegation experienced firsthand NCKU's proudly featured facilities, including the Small Animal MRI Analysis (fMRI) core facility, the Zebrafish Core Facility Platform, the Bioimaging Core Facilities, the Digital Anatomy Table, and the Artificial Intelligence Virtual Reality (AR/VR) classroom equipment. The CSA-B delegation highly commended NCKU's profound scientific research resources and stated that the trip was highly rewarding, expressing great anticipation for future substantive cooperation between the two universities. |
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| Photo 3: CSA-B Guests Visiting the NCKU Hospital | Photo 4: CSA-B Guests Visiting the AI & VR Classroom | |
